caedwell



(NO Model.)

W. A. OARDWELL.

OPERA, FIELD, OR MARINE GLASS. N0. 384,122.

FIG

Patente i glge 5, 1888.

(1 qvw gme w u Parana mimu m hen Wnhingicn. n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM A. OARDWELL, OF MOAT CROFT, EASTBOURNE, COUNTY or sUssEx,ENGLAND.

OPERA, FIELD, ORMARINE GLASS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 384,122, dated June 5,1888.

Application filed Febluury 1, 1888. Serial No. 262,640. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM ALEXANDER OARDWELL, of the Moat Croft,Eastbourne, in the county of Sussex, England, lieutenant-colonel ofvolunteer artillery, asubj ectoftheQueen of Great Britain, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Opera, Field, or Marine Glasses,of which the following is a specification.

Io The object of my invention is to provide an opera, field, or marineglass which will be capable of being folded into a small compass whenout of use and thus rendered easily portable. For this purpose I employa frame-work .I5 of any suitable material, which is provided with arigid top and bottom connected to the sides, which are formed offlexible material. The ends of the frame are hinged, one to the top orbottom and the other to a slide carried thereby, and they are capable offolding upon the top or bottom. These ends are formed to carry thelenses,and the slide, to which one of themis hinged,is provided witharaclgto which motion is given by means of a pinion, whereby one of theends is capable of being moved nearer to or farther from the otherinorder to adjust the instrument to the required focus. When in use, theends of the frame are placed in a vertical position and there retainedby any suitable means, and thus tighten and hold the flexible materialin proper form; but when out of use the ends may be folded upon the topor bottom of the frame, when the instrument will assume a compact andconvenient form for 3 5 carrying in the pocket.

In order that -the said invention may be more clearly understood andreadily carried into effect,I will proceed, aided by the\aeeompanyingdrawings, more fully to describe the 0 same.

In the drawings, Figure I is a longitudinal section taken on the line AB of Fig. 3, showing an opera or field glass constructed according to myinvention, and showing the in- 5 strument expanded ready for use. Fig. 2is an end view thereof, partly in section. Fig. 3 is an under side viewthereof with the bottom removed, and Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectionshowing the instrument when folded and out of use.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all thefigures.

The frame-work of the instrument is con structed with a rigid top, a, ofmetal or other suitable material, formed with flanges a and with a rigidbottom,b,of similar material. The sides bare formed of leather,silk, orother suitable opaque flexible material, and they are riveted, cemented,or otherwise connected to the flanges a of the top a, and also to thebottom b. The rear end, 0, of the frame is hinged to the top a by meansof plain hinges orjoints c, and the front end, (I, of the frameis-similarly connected by a hinge, d, with a slide,d ,which travelsbetween or in guides a formed on or carried by the top a. These ends 0and d are formed to carry the lenses 0* and (1*, which are securely heldin fittings in the usual manner, or they might be cemented in the ends 0and d; and the slide (1 to which the end d is hinged, is formed orprovided with a rack, (P, to which motion is given by means of apinion,

a, mounted upon a crossshaft, (1 mounted in bearings e',carried by thetop a and furnished with a milled wheel or button, 6, exterior of one oftheside flanges, a; or there might be a milled wheel 6 upon each end ofthe crossshaft e", whereby the front e11d,(l,is capable of being movednearer to or-farther from the rear end,

a, in order to adjust the instrument to the re- So quired focus. I

In connection with the ends 0 and d, I employ spring-levers (1* d theone cl being carried by the top a and the other, (2 being car- T ried bythe slide (2 so as to exert a constant pressure upon the ends a andcl,in order to automatically place and retain such ends in a verticalposition, but so as to allow of such ends being folded down upon the topa, as shown at Fig. 4. The ends will thus,when the 0 instrument is to beused automatically, be brought into a vertical position,when they willabut against stops 12 upon the frame. According to this arrangement,when the instrument is inuse the'ends c d of the frame are 5 placed in avertical positiomas shown at Figs.

1, 2, and 3, and the ends are retained in that position by means of thespring-levers d d. By these means the flexible sides b are tightened andheld in proper form for use; but

when out of use the sides 1) and ends a d may be folded upon the top aof the frame, when the instrument will assume the form shown at Fig. 4.

If desired, instead of employing springlevers d and d for opening outthe endsp and d, other suitable means-such as cords attached to suchends-may be employed for that purpose,and the ends may be fitted withsight hinges in lieu of the plain hinges c and d, in order to retain theends 0 and d in their vertical position. By these means I obtain anopera or field glass which may be folded into a compact form forcarrying in the pocket,and which may also be readily converted into apractical instrument.

A strap or clasp or other fastening means may be employed to retain theinstrument in its folded or closed condition, and, if desired, theinstrument when out of use may be placed in a suitable case or cover.

Although in the drawings I have repre' sented the top of the instrumentas being formed to carry the operating parts it will be evident thatsuch arrangement may,if desired, be reversed and the bottom may becaused to carry such parts.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my saidinvention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare thatwhat I claim is-- 1. An opera, field, or marine glass formed with rigidtop and bottom and flexible sides, substantially as described.

2. An opera, field, or marine glass formed with rigid top and bottom,flexible sides, and hinged ends, substantially as described.

3. An opera, field, or marine glass formed with rigid top and bottom aand b, flexible sides I), and hinged ends 0 and d, carrying lenses 0*and (1*, in manner substantially as herein shown and described, and forthe purpose stated.

4. An opera, field, or marine glass formed with rigid top and bottom aand b, flexible sides I), end 0, carrying lenses 0* and hinged to rigidtop a or bottom I), end cl, carrying lenses (1* and hinged to a slide,such as d", traveling in guides, such as a, on top or bottom a or b, andprovided with a rack, (2 receiving motion from pinion e, andspringlevers d d for opening out and retaining the ends a and d in avertical position against stops 12 in manner substantially as hereinshown and described, and for the purpose stated.

V. A. GARDXVELL.

\Vitnesses:

B. .I. B. MILLs, O. K. WHITE, Both of 23 Southampton Buildings, London.

